Social Security Disability And The Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is the combination in one patient of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. (Some people define the metabolic syndrome as also involving obesity but if you have the other three, you usually have obesity as well.) Each of these is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which means, among other bad things, heart attacks and strokes. Put them together and the risk goes sky high.

You can’t get Social Security disability for the metabolic syndrome itself. In and of itself, the metabolic syndrome causes no symptoms. Cardiovascular disease brought on by the metabolic syndrome can certainly cause diabetes. The individual components of the metabolic syndrome, particularly diabetes can, in and of themselves, cause enough symptoms to be disabling. Diabetes can also lead to non-cardiovascular damage to the body, such as peripheral neuropathy, kidney damage, stomach damage, eye damage, etc, which may be disabling.

If you have the metabolic syndrome, take care of yourself. Keep working as long as you reasonably can. If your health gets to the point that you can’t work, file a Social Security disability claim and pursue it aggressively.

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